The Busy Preschooler...

I picked up this book last week for my very bored preschooler who doesn't return to his two day a week school till next week. I must say it has some great ideas and has been worth every penny so far!

Today I decided to let him make some "flour drawings" by scooping flour into a sheet pan and letting him play in it. I obviously didn't read the word "sprinkle" in the directions, which is what I was supposed to do with the flour! Intead, I piled it high and let him have at it!


So, obviously, it made a bit of a mess! Fortunately, I'm not really one of those moms who can't stand a big mess and I figure it's nothing a vaccuum couldn't pick up! Needless to say, he loved it and hiscomment was, "Mommy, I could do this all day and all night!"

And now, several hours later, he's back at the table doing it all over again!

4 Months Home!

Amazing how fast time has gone by! Hitting our four month mark is a big deal since we waited four months and 4 days for our travel call after receiving Zoey's referral. She is doing remarkably well and has turned into quite the chatter box and much more of a toddler rather than a baby. She currently says about seven words, which sort of happened over night! She says bye bye (and waves), hello, uh-oh, go, no, mama and dada. The biggest milestone we have reached is that she is sleeping through the night consistently now! It's amazing what a difference that makes in our house with everyone! Her naps are better during the day and she is much happier during awake time. The carseat is finally facing forward and she is now comfortable riding in the car with or without big brother. She has definetly got a little naughty in her as she often does things she's not supposed to with a big fat smile on her face and promptly throws a little tantrum when we divert her attention elsewhere! She will sit still for the most part so I can do her hair in the morning and while she still doesn't love her baths, she tolerates them much better than before. She is just walking everywhere and enjoys other people, as long as they don't try and pick her up! We are so happy with our family of four and continue to enjoy our two little blessings!

It is definetly clear that Zoey's personality is shining through as well...my dad teaches the adult Sunday School class at church and she is still having a hard time figuring out why Papa gets to stand at the front of the class and everyone looks at him and listens to what he has to say. She will walk to the front of the class and hold her arms out for him to pick her up frequently, even though we try to keep her occupied so he can teach. Today, she was especially clingy to him, and for the third time, held her arms up for him to hold her. And of course, Papa can't resist, so he scooped her right up and continued on with his lesson. She was snacking on a little rice cracker so her hands were a bit salty. As he talked, she started to stick her fingers in his mouth. As the class started to giggle a bit, he made the comment that her hands tasted salty and wondered where they had been. As he said this, Zoey proceeded to stick her finger up her nose as if answering his question and enjoyed the reaction she got from her audience! I am always concerned that new people don't know she is his grand-daughter and just think I don't watch my kid and let her crawl all over the teacher! But for the most part, people know the relationship and just think she is the cutest thing ever. And of course, we do too! We are so happy to have these last four months with our precious daughter!

Here's a few pictures of our silly little girl we took at dinner this evening...

Weekend Fun

Friday night we went to my fifteen year old brother-in-law's first varsity football game of the season. Danny and I graduated from that very high school almost ten years ago and it is always strange to be back, especially to see old friends of ours now coaching his brother! The cheerleaders are doing the same cheers I did on that field and some of the very same coaches are still there! It was a first for Zoey, who did quite well for only taking an hour nap that day since the game didn't even start until 7:30pm. But she handled the noise well and while we didn't stay the entire time, she was clapping right along with everyone else! It was actually Braedan who had a melt down first begging to go home once his concession stand candy was all gone! They won 27-17. Go Buffs!



We just hung around the house today, swimming and watching the Little League World Series. A team from San Antonio was playing for the US Championship and while they didn't win, it was fun to see them make it that far. Zoey was cuddling her baby while watching the game!

Big Foot, Little Foot!

Zoey and I just hanging out.

Boboless Week.

Well, it's been nearly a week since the Bobo Fairy came and went and so far, so good! Braedan had a tough time falling asleep without it, so his Daddy or I would stay in the room till he fell asleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, when he'd usually wake up to put it back in his mouth, he is was coming into our bed. He usually sleeps in till at least 8am or later, but since the Bobo is gone, he is up every morning like clockwork at 6:45am. Now, at nearly a week without the Bobos, he is falling asleep on his own and staying asleep all night without coming into our room. He is still waking earlier than usual, but not a huge deal. He has asked for them every day since he gave them up, but usually only once a day, and is satisfied when I re-tell the entire story. He used to take an afternoon nap when he needed one, but without the bobos, has a hard time falling asleep during the day. So yesterday, he crashed on the couch after a long afternoon running errands and my dad tucked Zoey's doll in his arms (usually he has his big fluffy white stuffed dog!). When he woke up, he thought it was pretty funny he had been snuggling sister's doll, and promptly threw her on the ground (nice, right?)! All in all, I would say the transition to get rid of the bobos went easier than expected and we are so proud of our big boy!!

To Infinity and Beyond!

Meet our very own Buzz Light Year!

Doesn't he look tough?

And here's our very own "It" from Adams Family?!?! Her bangs have grown so much this is what it looks like before we pull her hair back in the morning!

Our Cutie Pie!

So You Think You Can Dance?

Yes, we do. :) A little dancing party at our house this evening! Zoey is not usually this clumsy on her feet...she's working off only one short nap so she's a little woozy!!

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Happy Birthday!

Today, we celebrated my husband's 28th birthday! And while we didn't do any cake smashing in his face today, just thought we'd celebrate with this picture from our wedding 6 1/2 years ago. :) We love you and hope you had an awesome birthday!!!!

When you wish upon a....Bobo Fairy???

My son is addicted to his pacifier. He calls them Bobos. And yes, in our house, they deserve to be capitalized. So after watching an all-knowing episode of the Supernanny, I got the idea about a "Bobo Fairy". A few days ago, I explained to Braedan that she had called me and said that there were babies in Korea who needed Bobos and that since he was such a big boy, would he be willing to give them to her so she could take them to the babies in Korea who needed them. If he was willing to give her all six of his Bobos to her, in return, she might even bring back six little special presents for him. I told him to think about it and when he was ready, we would call her back and let her know to come and get them. Well, yesterday, he told me he was ready and that we should call her. So we did. And she promised to come and get them right away.

So we packed up all the Bobos...

Walked outside to the front porch...

And left them for her to pick up.

All the Bobos were ready to go...(except for one we found a little later!)

And we left her a note...

And then did the happy dance while we waited for her to come!

Later that evening, we discovered she had come and taken the Bobos!! But in return, she had left some very special gifts in their place!

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And we made sure that Daddy counted so it was an even trade.

We took everything inside to see what she had brought...

And Braedan was very pleased with the results.



It took a little while for reality to set in that the Bobos were not coming back. After a few tears and a little begging for the Bobos to come back, he finally fell asleep at 1:30am. Through sobs, he even said to me,

"I just want to keep this one Transformer, so tell the Bobo Fairy to come back and get the rest and give me five Bobos back".

This was exactly the reason we did an even trade, he's one smart cookie! I told him that the Bobos had already been delivered to the babies in Korea and it seemed to calm him down some. But he was up again crying hysterically at 4:30am and then was up for good at around 7am. So none of us had too much sleep, but the important thing is....he did it! We have told him over and over how proud we are of him and a huge smile lights up his face every time he hears it. It will obviously take more than just one night to overcome this addiction and believe me, it's not just hard on him. I had a few break downs myself and it broke my heart to hear him cry and ask for them back. But he's happy this morning and playing with his new toys and talking about the babies in Korea who now have his Bobos. We hope he will settle in for a long nap this afternoon, Boboless and happy. Whew, no one said parenting would be easy, but it's definetly worth it!!

Thank you Bobo Fairy!

Waiting Children

As many of you know, Zoey was referred to us through the Waiting Child Program of Holt International. What some of you may not know is that while we were open to many medical conditions, Zoey was referred to the program because her birth mother took prescription antidepressants in the early stages of pregnancy, before she knew she was pregnant. While we do not know the exact medication she took, there are a few antidepressants that are not recommended to take during pregnancy for a variety of reasons, some minor, some more critical. After reviewing her file, which included extensive medical records since birth, we were very confident that the medication had no affect on her health, and probably would not cause any issues in the future either. While I know that there are many out there that are easily frightened, and rightfully so, by medical terms and conditions, I encourage all those who are considering adoption to check the Waiting Child Program of the country they are interested in. There are many children who are referred to the program for a variety of reasons, and each deserves a chance to be individually assesed, rather than to generally say that it would be too much to handle.

"Holt’s Waiting Child Program (WCP) matches families with children who have medical conditions, are older or in sibling groups. We help you get to know the child(ren) you are drawn to, help you understand their conditions and work with you in assessing your ability to parent that child. Once you’re matched with a child, we bring you into the capable hands of our adoption program staff who guide you through your child’s adoption."

Holt is there to help you every step of the way, answer any questions and help assess whether or not your family is right for a particular child. Here are some of the cuties from the Korea program at Holt International!


ID: B09_227
DOB: February 8, 2006

This adorable little boy came into care shortly following his birth. He was born full term and weighed 6.6 pounds. He has a history of partial multifocal seizures and delayed development. His latest assessment from July 2009 assessed him to be at a 3 year old level. He initially was living with a foster family, but has been moved to an institution. His caregivers report that he attends school every day. He is able to count, obey his teachers commands and speak in sentences. He is toilet trained and is able to feed himself. He also receives physical therapy twice a week. He enjoys playing outside and is describe as a sociable and outgoing little boy. He is in need of a family who are open to some unknowns, are able to provide him with the medical care he needs and preferably have parented past his age.

To adopt this child, couples must submit their application to Holt before the oldest spouse reaches the age of 43. Applicants must be married at least 3 years and live in one of the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, HI, IA, KS, KY, MN, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NJ, NM, OH, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, WADC, WV, or WY. Up to 4 children in the home. * See country criteria for complete requirements.

ID: B09_140
DOB: January 6, 2009

This sweet little boy was born by C-section at 29 weeks and weighed 2.53 pounds. He currently is living with a foster family who says that he is developing well and that he is a lovely baby. He was hospitalized following his birth until March 3, 2009. During his hospital stay, he was treated for jaundice and was also on a ventilator for 16 days and in an incubator for 41 days. The birth mother did drink a half bottle of soju two times per month throughout her pregnancy and suffered from syphilis. A neurosonogram found that this little guy has mild ventriculomegaly, and his doctors are ruling out periventricular leukomalacia. He also has been treated for respiratory distress syndrome and disseminated intravascular coagulation. This child is reported to be a gentle and lovely baby who occasionally smiles in his sleep. He is in need of a family who is able to provide him with the medical care that he needs and is open to some unknowns.

To adopt this child, couples must submit their application to Holt before the oldest spouse reaches the age of 43. Applicants must be married at least 3 years and live in one of the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, HI, IA, KS, KY, MN, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NJ, NM, OH, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, WADC, WV, or WY. Up to 4 children in the home. * See country criteria for complete requirements.

ID: B09_183
DOB: December 30, 2008

This adorable little boy was born at 35 weeks and weighed 2.26 pounds. Following his birth, he was hospitalized until February 26, 2009. He has been surgically treated for a patent ductus arteriosus and has also been treated for congential syphilis. His birthmother reportedly smoked one to two cigarettes a day and drank ½ bottle of soju two to three times a week. He currently is living with a foster family. Upon his birth he was found to have intrauterine growth retardation and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. He has also had an abnormal neurosonogram. His foster parents describe him as a bright looking boy that is very sweet and cute. His July well baby check assessed him to be at a three to four month developmental level and he weighed 13.42 pounds. He is in need of a family who are open to some unknowns and able to provide him with any medical care that he may need.

To adopt this child, couples must submit their application to Holt before the oldest spouse reaches the age of 43. Applicants must be married at least 3 years and live in one of the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, HI, IA, KS, KY, MN, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NJ, NM, OH, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, WADC, WV, or WY. Up to 4 children in the home. * See country criteria for complete requirements.

If you are interested in any of these children, or know someone who is, please call 541-687-2202 and ask to speak with Erin Mower in the Waiting Child Program for further information and to find out how you can adopt one of these children! To see the rest of the Waiting Children in Korea, as well as the other countries Holt works with, click on the link below. Let's find homes for all these spectacular children!
http://www.holtinternational.org/cgi/photolisting/4.cgi

For more information about adoption in general, please visit http://www.holtinternational.org/

Hmmm...

Did I mention that my son has regressed slightly since his little sister came home?!?!?

The sleep keeps comin'!

For the first night in her own room, Zoey did great! She woke only three times, one to take a bottle, and the others were short in duration and went back to sleep quickly. We actually went into her room around 9am after waiting for her to wake up and there she was just playing in her crib! Amazing! While I know this sleeping arrangement would not have worked when she first arrived home, I am so pleased to see her confidence after three and a half months home and sleeping in her own room. We're so proud of her! And the extra sleep for us has been priceless!

And a cute story from big brother today...we were watching Pinocchio this afternoon, which I haven't seen in years. When the fairy came to turn Pinocchio into a "real boy", I asked Braedan, "Oh, wow! So now he's a real boy!" To which he replied, "No, mommy, he's still a puppet. He can't be a real boy till he can learn to be brave!" Sure enough, the next scene, the fairy told Pinocchio that he needed to be brave, etc. before he could turn into a real boy!!! Huh?!?! How did he know that? Apparently, while he was hanging out with his papa yesterday, they watched that part and after only seeing it once, understood the concept completely! :)

What was that? A full night's sleep?!?!?!

Yes, that's right! After about six weeks of waking at least five times a night, we changed up the bedtime routine a bit and it worked like a charm! I hate to jinx myself by making a big deal about one night, but hey, one full night of sleep is not something to be taken lightly around here! Zoey slept from 8:30pm to 8:00am this morning!! We were in shock and kept waking up checking on her! :) Needless to say, we felt very rested this morning and decided to go for a hike (yes, in 100 degree weather!) at a local park. And because Zoey is still contagious with her roseola rash, we just sort of hung out at home the rest of the day getting things done around here. That included moving Zoey's crib back into her room. We have noticed she sleeps better when we're not in the room, which may be a part of why she is waking so often at night. She had been sleeping in a crib in her foster parent's room in Korea, so that's what we stuck with till now. We'll see how tonight goes, but she already took a nap in her own room with great success! Hoping all the bragging in this post does not come back to bite me in the you know what!!!

On our way to Comanche Trail this morning...everyone was all smiles after a good night's sleep!


We discovered today that Braedan is just slightly too big for this stroller!!!

Nothing like a good hike with an extra 20 lbs on your back!!

And while Zoey napped, the boys went out and washed the car! What else can you do in this heat? (and apparently, the shirt Braedan is wearing has a hole under the arm!)

It all makes sense now...

I know it's hard to tell from this picture (it didn't turn out as well as I thought it had) but after the rash developed today, we figured out what was going on. And thanks to a fellow adoptive parent and friend, Kelly (you can check out her cutie on my blog list at "Life With Briar"), I realized (though my mom claims she realized it first) that Zoey has roseola. I remember reading about it on Kelly's blog that Briar had it and how she ran a fever in the days prior to the rash. So I relied on a good 'ole GOOGLE search and sure enough, it's exactly what we've had going on here. Starts with a high fever, then turns into a rash all over the trunk area and can spread to the rest of the body, which it has. It's starting to creep up to her face and arms and a little on her legs. She just has small red bumps all over. Fortunately, they don't itch and the fever is now gone, but she is highly contagious to kids three and under and will probably have the rash at least another several days. You can read all about it here: http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/commoninfections/a/roseola.htm I'm happy we at least figured it out but know it's just a waiting game till the virus works through her body and she is back to normal. She is still a little fussier than usual, but other than that, since the fever has broken, seems to be okay. So thanks Kelly, (and my mom!) and hopefully this post will help someone in the future who will now know what roseola is!!

By the way, Kelly is co-owner of briar.claire. Most of the cute bows Zoey wears are from her store! You can check it out here: http://briarclaire.etsy.com

Just a quick update...

to say the baby is better! No fever today and sleeping much better. I think she may have a little virus, so there's little the doctor can do, especially since she's feeling much better! Didn't want anyone to worry by not posting today!

Why thank you!

I am a big thank you writer. I have a bit of an obsession about it. You do something or give something to us, you'll get a thank you. But how do you say thank you to someone who took care of your child? Simple. Send pictures of that precious baby! I was finally able to get some collages together to send to both foster families that cared for Zoey while she was in Korea the first nine months of her life. One family had her from birth till she was four months old, and the other five months until the day I picked her up. After being home three months, I really regret not sending anything sooner, but am happy I was able to include pictures from her Tol Party as well. We have also decided that each year on her birthday we will send something to be put in her file in the event that someone in her birth family inquires about her. I would love for there to be pictures waiting for them. A friend from the Holt Forum, who got her travel call today (yay!) volunteered to hand deliver the pictures and letters, which puts my mind more at ease that they will make it into the right hands. I kept the letters simple, as they will need to be translated and hope that by sending updated pictures often, they will know just how much we appreciate them and what they did for us, as well as for Zoey. They are the reason she is so happy and fun loving today, because of the love she was given by them. I think about them often, especially since I had the priveledge to meet her last foster mother when I traveled to Korea. What wonderful women we are honored to have part of our lives!

I always try and come up with something clever for thank you notes and while the party was a week and a half ago, I finally came up with something cute! I collected all the birthday cards she was given and made them the back drop for the Korean word for thank you, gamsahamnida. I had the image printed on cards at Walmart. So, some of you reading this...look for this card in your mailbox soon!!!


And finally, today was a bit of a rough day for Zoey. And I. And Braedan. She has been running a fever since Sunday, but today was just not herself. Won't take a bottle, eating very little and having some diaper issues. She wouldn't sleep unless I was holding her and poor Braedan was just plain bored basically roaming the house on his own! But fortunately, late this afternoon, the fever broke with no medication and she ate everything we put in front of her! She was even walking around bugging her brother as usual and proceeded to turn the satellite on and off and on and off. We knew with that, she was back to her old self! I'm not totally convinced it's all teething but I'm not entirely sure it's something else either. So we're going to play it by ear and see what tomorrow holds. Hopefully not a trip to the doctor. We are just so thankful she has been so healthy and well taken care of in Korea. We are hoping for a good nights sleep for everyone and maybe we could even leave the house tomorrow!!!

And just one more thing...a shout out to my sister on her birthday!! I love you and you are the best (and only!) Korean sister I have!! Happy 29th Birthday!! Be proud of it! (Cause next year, you'll be 30!)

Well someone is getting enough sleep!

You'd never be able to tell from this video that she's not sleeping well, running a fever and has had diarrhea for the past few days! I honestly think she's just delirious! She thinks it's very funny to pull her pacifier in and out of my mouth! Shortly after this video, she was screaming again!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

And the short nap she did take today on her own, Big Brother and I decided to make some homemade play-doh and in honor of Shark Week on Discovery Channel, we made play-doh sharks! He watched me as I made the one on the left and then created the one on the right all by himself! Excellent job I think!

Sleep. It's overrated. Or is it?

Well, as many of you know, we've had some sleep issues around our house lately. From the beginning, Zoey has not been a great sleeper, but was progressively getting better. The last few weeks, however, have been crazy, to say the least. Today, after 6 dirty diapers and a shirt soaked in drool, we realize now we have a teether. I'm not sure that all the sleeping issues are related to teething but at least it's a start! So we loaded her up with a dose of Tylenol and then Motrin before laying her down and I am very interested to see how the night progresses. I (and my hubby) would love a full night's sleep! So wish us luck! I'm not sure I remember what a full night's sleep feels like! And with 8:30am church, this is one night we could really use it!

Random Picture Thursday

Just had to show off this adorable outfit Zoey received for her birthday!! Perfect for our second post placement visit we had on Tuesday!

We ordered a baby doll for Zoey's birthday last week, but it didn't quite make it here in time for the party...but that didn't seem to matter, since she fell in love with her right away! We LOVE this baby doll! Want one for your kiddo? Here's the link: http://www.jctoys.com/product/71218/13109./_/11%22_La_Baby_(Asian)


Playing outside on an unusually mild temperature morning! Shortly after this, we found the bunny had escaped but we found her in the corner of the yard taking a little snooze...